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(I Can't Get No) Satisficer

Are you a maximizer or satisficer? In other words, are you constantly
striving to ensure your work and that of others is exactly right – if not
perfect? Or, can you accept work products being good or, dare I say, good
enough to meet objectives and then move on?

In a February 2ndFT Weekend column, Janan Ganesh reviewed the recent, later-in-life careers
of tennis superstar Roger Federer and soccer legend Ronaldinho to make a point
about maximizers and satisficers. He asserted that Federer’s unprecedented
surge in his mid-to-late 30s – a monumental comeback now underway – owes to his
“relentless pursuit of ever-loftier goals.” He contrasted the demands of Federer’s
almost inhuman standards and discipline with Ronaldinho’s “prolonged
winding-down of a luminous gift.” There was “no autumnal resurgence for” for
the Barca star, who announced his retirement last month. Okay, yes, he kind of
mailed it in toward the end of his career.

Ganesh has been a superb FT
Weekend replacement for Tyler Brule. That said, his “either-or” formulation
here doesn’t work for me. Most binary presentations such as this one leave me
cold. Indeed, as people who work on their emotional intelligence understand, one
can (or should) be a maximizer in some situations and a satisficer in other
contexts.

Sure, there are impossible Type A types who always demand perfection
from themselves and everyone else no matter the objective or circumstance. They
often fail as a result, diminish their organizations and make life miserable
for their colleagues. Practical wisdom suggests, on the other hand, that there will
be moments in which each of us must keep our foot on the accelerator and demand
no less than the best. There will be other moments, however, when we must keep
the big picture in mind, deliver quality work, nourish the team and move on to
the next objective. As with so many things in life, pick and choose your battles. It’s always a matter of balance.

Images courtesy of SkySports and AS English.

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